Tank cleaning apparatus



ug.3,1948. QQMELTO'N l 2,446,338

TANK CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July '7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A Trai/vw,

Aug. 3, 1948. c. c. MELTON 2,446,338

Y TANK CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 7, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. Vane/76e C Ale/fof? "i BY nToN/sy.

Patented Aug. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Clarence C. Melton, Kansas City, Mo., as'signor to Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application July 7, 1943, Serial No. 493,739

3 Claims. 1. l'Ihis invention relates to ltank cleaning appa ratus' and more'particularly to mechanism for cleaning oil tanks.

Aircraft engines are supplied with oil from tanks commonly mounted in wing sections', or other convenient parts of the plane. Periodically, these tanks must be removed and thoroughlyjcleaned to insure against clogging of feed lines va'ndi'ofther hazardous consequences which might result from the collection of excessive sludge and dirt in the tanks.

Itis 'the principal object of this invention to provide apparatus for thoroughly cleaning tanks oi' theabove character in a relatively short period' of time with a minimum amount of effort.

A further aim of` the invention is to provide apparatus for violently agitating a tank lled with cleaning liquid. e

A'yet 'further aim of this invention' is to prov'idemechanism for conducting flushing liquidT totheta'nk while the latter is being agitated.

y These and other objects 'of the invention have been accomplished with structure shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

lFigi isv aplan'view of tank cleaning apparatus constructedin accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevational view of the cleaning apparatus.

Fig. 3 isan endK elevational view of the same.

Figli is an enlarged' sectional view of one end of the cradle shaft and its associated parts, taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig; 5 is a similar sectional view of the other end of the shaft, taken on line V--V of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional View of the cradle and shaft taken' on line V'I-VI of Fig'. 1.-

Referring more particularly tothe drawings, a support comprises an H-shaped" base mem-ber I2 andapair of spaced uprights or posts I4 and I6. Suitable bracing I8 and angles 28' are employed to' produce ,a very rigid support, capable of' withstanding the violent vibration to which it is subjected.

Uprights I4 and I6 are provided, adjacent their upper ends, with alignedtransverse bearing openings 22 and 24 respectively, for receiving a cradle shaft 26. This shaft is of unique construction fora purpose which will become apparent as the description proceeds, and includes ahollow section 28 and av solidsection 3l). Section 28 extending through opening 22, is journalled in a bearing 32 secured to the outer face of upright I4, and a flange 34 on the shaft I 2 section bears against the innerl face of said up,-V right. Similarly, shaft section 30 extends through opening 24 and is' journalled in a bearf" ing ,36, secured to the outer face of upright I6', a flange 38 on7 section 30 engaging the inne face of the upright. The facing inner e'n'dfpo'rtions 4I) and 42 of shaft sections 28 and 30, are, respectively offset to opposite sides of an axial line running through bearings 32 and' 36, Where` by a line extending from one end portion' to the other intersects said axial line at an angle. The inner ends'of portions 48 and`42` are'provided'with iianges 44 and dit" respectively, betvveenwhich iS mounted a cradle or' frame 48 having a central hollow shaft 58 aligned with' said portions. The end of shaft Elladjacent shaft section30, is prei` erably plugged, as indicated at 52.

lilanged sleeves 54', surrounding shaft 58' andv clamped thereon, are provided on each end of saidshaft to cooperate With flanges 44 and 46 for securely mounting cradle 48 on the shaft a`s,l sembly. i I e l Frame 48- is vpreferably rectangular in shaper and provided with apairv of' intermediate cross members 56, best illustrated in Fig. 6. 'lh'es'eI cross members are constructed' of duplicatesecti0ns`58, eacl'includingv a laterally directed abutment 'on'one of its ends, the abutment of' one section being adjacent one side edge," of frame 48, while the abutment of the other sectionlis adjacent the opposite( side edge of the frame.. The outer edge of each'section 58, together"vvitlrix abutment 68, is cntouredrto serveas a saddle foi' recel'vinga tank 62, iridicatedby dottedllri in Fig. 6, the'c'ont'oured edge being coveredlwith felt 64,-or similar material to protect the tank.

Each tank 62 isheld in position in its respectivepairA of saddles 'by band sections 6 6, covered" throughout their tank engaging portions With felt 68' or rsimilar nonabrasive material'. Onef end of each band section 65 is pivotally anchored'f to frame 48 by a bracket 'I8 and its opposite end' terminates inv a bolt` 'l2V adapted table/extended through an opening 14' bracket 'I6 secured tof abutment 68. A nut 'I'Ibearing against a collarV 78, sleeved over' the vouter enol'of4 bolt; 'l2'. is e'm ployed to draw band section 66' firmly against tank s2; L e l Witli'a tank 62 clamped against each` slde of frame48, and with the abutments arranged so" that those onone side are on the ends ofoross` members 56 opposite 'to the abutments on the other side,`"a balanced condition ofv the fratrie and tank assembly is obtained, which is highly desirable to reduce excessive Vibration,

It is further desirable to provide for ushing the tanks while they are being agitated through rotation of the cradle 48. Such is accomplished by fitting a nipple 80 into the outer end of hollow shaft section 28 and joining it through a flexible sleeve 82 of rubber or the like with a pipe '84 clamped against upright |4 by a. bracket 86 and havinga reduced outer end 88 suitably-dtmensioned-to enter a hose (not here shown), leading from a source of liquid supply. The

nipple 80 is rotatable within sleeve 82 to permit rotation of the shaft section 28. Shaft 50 is provided with an outlet opening 90 communicata T 96. Elbows 98 and |00 screwed into opposite ends of the T are connected with conduits |02` and |04, which respectively lead to the two tanks k mounted on cradle 48.

The outer end of shaft section 30, journalled in bearing 36, may extend through the bearing 36 or be joined in' any suitable manner with a separate shaft length as shown in Fig. 5. Keyed on the outer end of this shaft length is a pulley |06 operably connected through a series of belts |08 with a sheave ||0 fixed on one end of a counter shaft H2. 'The latter is journalled in a bearing ||4 carried by a bracket i|6 secured to upright Hi.4 The opposite end of shaft ||2 is provided with a relatively large sheave which in turn is operably connected through belts |20 with a small pulley |22 mounted on the shaft |24 of a motor |26. A shelf |28, secured to and projecting upwardly from upright I6, is preferably provided for supporting motor |26 in a position above pulley |06.

, The operation of the'apparatus for cleaning tanks is relatively simple. Two empty oil tanks are clamped in the saddles on opposite sides of fiamrendtrl and are substantially filled with a cleaning solution; By means of motor |26, the frame or cradle 48, together with the' tanks clamped thereon, are rotated and the cleaning liquid is slushed against the walls of the tank. Because Yof the diagonal relation of the axis of the frame to that of the aligned bearings in upriglits I4 and I6, liquid is slushed not only against 'thej peripheral side walls, butv also against thefend walls of the tanks. This is considered an important feature" since many oil tanks areprovided with partitions which would prevent proper cleaning treatmentof the end walls of a tank were the axis of the frame in direct alignment with the axial line of bearings 32 and l36.

After the sludge and dirt in the tanks has been dislodged from the tank wall, the cleaning fluid is drained and a hose leading from a supply of water under pressure, is attached to end 88 of pipe 84. With all plugs and closures of the tanks removed, the frame 48 is again rotated about its axis and water owing through hollow pipe section 28 and through conduits |02 and |04?, enters the tanks to flush all of the dislodged sludge and sediment therefrom.v

Tanks lmounted on apparatus constructed as described, can be cleaned more thoroughly and in a much shorter period of time than has been possible with methods heretofore employed.

vIt is conceivable that cleaning apparatus having physical characteristics other than those shown and described might be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is desired, therefore, to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. AIn tank cleaning apparatus, a pair of spaced supports; a shaft mountedfor rotation in the supports, said shaft having a portion between the supports disposed at an angle to the remainder of the shaft; a rectangular frame xed on A said angularly disposed portion of the shaft; op-

positely directed abutments on said frame adjacent oppositeside edges thereof; means for 7clamping a tank onto each of two opposite sides of the frame and against said abutments; and means for rotating the shaft.

2. :In tank cleaning apparatus, a pair of spaced supports; a shaft mounted for rotation in the supports, said shaft having a portion between the supports disposed at an angle to the remainder of the shaft; a substantially planar frame xed on said angularly disposed portion of the shaft; a laterally projecting abutment on the frame; means for clamping a tank on to the frame and against said abutment; and means for rotating the shaft, said frame being so fixed on said angularly disposed `portion of the shaft as to support the tank entirely to one side of the axis of the shaft.

3. In a tank cleaning apparatus, a pair of spaced supports; a shaftA mounted for rotation in the supports, said shaft having a hollow end section, another end section in alignment with the hollow end section, and a portion between the supports disposed at an angle to the remainder of the shaft;- a substantially planar frame iixedon said angularly disposed portion of ther shaft along the axis thereof; a laterally projecting abutment on vthe frame; means for clamping a tank onto the frame and against said abutment, said frame being so xed on said angularily disposed portion of the shaft as to sup-` port the tank entirely to one side of the axis of the aligned end sections of the shaft; means for conducting liquid through said hollow end section to the shaft; and means for rotating the shaft about the axes of the aligned end sections.

CLARENCE C. MELTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l Date- Y Great Britain June 27,1929 

